in the Rajiv Gandhi University campus by the Institute of Distance Education, RGU on 4-5 April 2011. Participants varied from faculty members in University and Colleges to Research Scholars. The workshop was inaugurated by Prof. P. K. Das, Director, NERIST. In his inaugural address he enumerated on the importance of distance education especially in context of Arunachal Pradesh.

Prof C. R. K. Murthy and Prof P. K. Biswas, Professors of Distance Education at STRIDE, IGNOU, New Delhi were invited as Resource Persons. Prof. Murthy and Prof. Biswas, threw light on how ODL has become an important medium of imparting education and also the role of counselor in ODL system. Dr. M. C. Behera, the first director of IDE and a Resource Person at the workshop also spoke on inaugural session.

Ashan Riddi, Director of the institute in his welcome address, highlighted how the Institute was establishing itself as a major facilitator of education in distance mode in state. Moyir Riba, Assistant Professor at the Institute also spoke.

The inaugural session was followed by technical sessions, over the two days, as below :

a. ODL an overview with focus on support services (Prof. C. R. K. Murthy, Professor of Distance Education, STRIDE)

b. Role of counselor and counseling in DE (Prof. P. K. Biswas, Professor of Distance Education, STRIDE)

c. Issues related to local counselors and counseling (Dr. M. C. Behera, Associate Professor, Arunachal Institute of Tribal Studies, RGU)

d. Role and functions of assignments in ODL (Prof. C. R. K. Murthy, Professor of Distance Education, STRIDE)

e. Mock counseling group work (Prof. P.K. Biswas, Professor of Distance Education, STRIDE)

f. Interactive Open Session (Prof. P. K. Biswas & Prof. C. R. K. Murthy)

In the valedictory session, in the presence of Hon’ble Vice Chancellor i/c, Prof. A. Mitra,both the Resource Persons as well the participants shared their view on the workshop.